Living Here: Nearby attractions

From Civil War battlefields to the beach, many sites are within driving distance of Hampton Roads. Learn history while having fun in the sun.

1. Appomattox Court House, Appomattox

The buildings and fields where Robert E. Lee surrendered his Confederate army are still a peaceful place in the hills east of Lynchburg. Check out the Museum of the Confederacy's newest Appomattox Museum where visitors can see Lee's sword. 434-352-8987, ext. 226. nps.gov/apco

2. Ash Lawn-Highland and Montpelier, Charlottesville

The Charlottesville area boasts not one but three presidents. Go north from Thomas Jefferson's Monticello to check out James Madison's newly restored Montpelier (540-672-2728, ext. 100 montpelier.org). Or jaunt just south to see James Monroe's Ash Lawn-Highland (434-293-8000, ashlawnhighland.org).

3. Belle Grove Plantation, Frederick County

Visit the only antebellum plantation in the Northern Shenandoah Valley. It was built in 1797 for Isaac Hite and his wife, Nelly, (sister of future president James Madison) and was the centerpiece of the Battle of Cedar Creek in the Civil War. 540-869-2028. bellegrove.org

4. Cape Charles, Eastern Shore

Eyre Hall and its beautiful gardens are the Eastern Shore's entry into the historic mansion registry. Nearby Cape Charles gives you a wonderful view of the Chesapeake. http://www.virginia.org/cities/CapeCharles/

5. Colonial Downs

Colonial Downs is Virginia's only pari-mutuel horse racetrack. Located in New Kent County at Exit 214 off I-64, the track features summer thoroughbred racing, a fall harness racing season and an ever growing year-round slate ofspecial events. 804-966-7223. http://www.colonialdowns.com.

6. Fredericksburg

Spend the morning and afternoon visiting the Civil War battlefields that surround this city (Chancellorsville, Spotsylvania Courthouse or the Fredericksburg battlefield) and easily go back into the historic town for lunch and a treat at Carl's, a much-loved ice cream stand. 540-373-6122. nps.gov/frsp

There are places besides Mount Vernon to walk in the first president's footsteps along the Potomac River. This is where George Washington was born in 1732. 804-224-1732 ext. 227. http://www.nps.gov/gewa

8. Great Dismal Swamp, Suffolk

Escaped slaves hid within this 112,000-acre wildlife refuge for bears, bobcats, minks and turtles in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina. Over 100 miles of trails wind through the swamp. 757-986-3705. http://www.fws.gov/refuge/great_dismal_swamp/

9. Harpers Ferry, West Virginia

Just over the state border sits the town John Brown invaded in 1859 to steal guns to arm a slave revolt. Now the town is a quiet, friendly mix of museums and stores at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers. 304-535-6029. nps.gov/hafe

10. John Marshall House, Richmond

John Marshall built this urban plantation from 1788 to 1790 and lived there until his death in 1835 — during which time he helped steer the Federalist era as U.S. secretary of state and as the first important chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Weekend tours run March-December. 804-648-7998. apva.org/marshall

11. MacArthur Memorial, Norfolk

If you're having trouble finding a history trip that interests the whole family, try the old City Hall in downtown Norfolk. It's the final resting place of Douglas MacArthur, the World War II and Korean War general — and right next to an upscale mall named for him. 757-441-2965. http://www.macarthurmemorial.org

12. Manassas Museum System

In historic Manassas, site of two major Civil War battles, the Manassas Museum System consists of The Manassas Museum and six other historic sites including Liberia Plantation and the Manassas Industrial School / Jennie Dean Memorial. 703-368-1873. manassasmuseum.org

Thomas Jefferson's masterpiece home just south of Charlottesville shows his life with more color and humor than textbooks report; here he is equal parts grandfather and Founding Father. 434-984-9800. monticello.org

15. Museum of the Confederacy, Richmond

This three-story site houses the world's largest collection of artifacts from the Confederacy. While downtown, check out the White House of the Confederacy, the former executive mansion of Jefferson Davis. The MOC also operates a museum in Appomattox. 804-649-1861. http://www.moc.org

16. Old Cape Henry Lighthouse, Virginia Beach

There are many lighthouses along the edges of the Chesapeake Bay and the East Coast, but this is one of the showpieces. It is the oldest government-built lighthouse in America, constructed around 1791. 757-422-9421. preservationvirginia.org/visit/historic-properties/cape-henry-lighthouse

Don't let the other 7 million visitors or the drive scare you from this 130-mile stretch of open, sandy beaches where Wilbur and Orville Wright went airborne. Route 168 is an easy drive, and the whole family can find something in the area's mix of museums, miniature golf courses, kite shops and seafood restaurants. outerbanks.org

18. Pamplin Historical Park and the National Museum of the Civil War Soldier, Petersburg

State-of-the-art interactive displays lead you through life as a Civil War soldier. Murals place you in camp and battle scenes, where you are surrounded by the sounds of barked orders, hoofbeats, martial music from a brass band and the conversations of soldiers. 1-877-PAMPLIN. pamplinpark.org

19. Pamunkey Indian Museum

Members of the Pamunkey tribe still live on their ancestral homeland, a homeland that dates back to the Ice Age. Located in King William County, the reservation houses a museum that walks visitors through their rich history. It also houses a gift shop that features local crafts. Call for museum hours. 804-843-4792. http://www.pamunkey.net/museum.html

20. Pocahontas State Park, Chesterfield

Just southeast of Richmond, this park has a swimming pool, biking, hiking, picnicking, camping, boating on Beaver Lake and an Algonquian Ecology Camp for environmental education. 1-800-933-PARK. dcr.virginia.gov/state_parks/poc.shtml

21. Poe Museum, Richmond

This museum boasts manuscripts, letters, first editions, memorabilia and personal belongings of Edgar Allan Poe, who lived and worked in early 19th-century Richmond. Open Tuesday-Sunday. 804-648-5523. poemuseum.org

22. Scotchtown, Hanover County

Fiery Founding Father Patrick Henry's home during the Revolutionary War is just a few miles west of Interstate 95. You can eat in nearby Ashland's idyllic downtown, which still has a working train track. 804-227-3500. apva.org/scotchtown/house

23. Skyline Drive, Page County

Don't wait for the fall foliage to drive atop the Appalachian Mountains and learn how mountain folk used to live. Any weekend will provide a wonderful drive along all or part of the 105-mile Skyline Drive through Shenandoah National Park. 540-999-3500. nps.gov/shen

24. Stratford Hall, Westmoreland County

This 1730s brick home in Virginia's Northern Neck was the base for one of Virginia's most powerful political families, the Lees. It was the birthplace of Robert E. Lee, general of the Confederate Army. 804-493-8038.stratfordhall.org

25. Tangier Island, Chesapeake Bay

You need to get up early to get to Reedville by 10 a.m. for the cruise ship to take you to this tiny, beautiful island in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay. But it is well worth the trip to eat there and experience this enclave of watermen who still speak a dialect that can be traced to the first English settlers. tangierisland-va.com

Previously called the Valentine Museum, this institution reminds us that the capital city's history doesn't end with its burning at the end of the Civil War. After that, Richmond became a power center for newly freed blacks, the base for the cigarette manufacturing industry and one of the first U.S. cities to adopt streetcars. 804-649-0711. richmondhistorycenter.com

28. Virginia Military Institute, Lexington

War buffs can walk the parade grounds, learn about George C. Marshall's role in World War II, then walk through the town's historic shopping district to the home of Stonewall Jackson. 540-464-7334. http://www.vmi.edu/museum

29. Virginia Quilt Museum, Harrisonburg

With quilting regaining popularity, these inspiring works of art connect women of the Civil War to examples of early sewing machines to artists today. 540-433-3818. vaquiltmuseum.org

30. Walton's Mountain Museum, Nelson County

Several seasons of the 1970s family drama are available on DVD now and you can see the area in the Blue Ridge Mountains where creator Earl Hamner Jr. grew up. 434-831-2000. waltonmuseum.org

The first home of our 28th president is one of the few presidential birthplaces open to the public. The site features his touring car, a large exhibit about his leadership in World War I, his library and a boxwood garden in the steep backyard. 540-885-0897. woodrowwilson.org